Safer Chemicals, Health Families responds
Washington, DC — Today, under the newly reformed Toxics Substance Control Act (TSCA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed banning certain uses of the toxic chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) due to health risks when used as a degreaser and a spot removal agent in dry cleaning. In response, Andy Igrejas, Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement is an important milestone for public health. EPA is proposing to ban several consumer uses of the known toxic chemical TCE, a chemical commonly used in dry cleaning and household cleaning products like cleaners and solvent degreasers. This is the kind of common sense action that is 40 years overdue, and it is only possible because of the recent reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act. However, there is much more work to do. EPA should soon propose similar restrictions on the industrial uses of TCE that threaten the health of workers.”
For more information on trichloroethylene, including its risks and uses, please see our page on TCE.